Peace Among Worlds!
Wubba Lubba Dub Dub!!
This section serves only to allow me to start with a quote from the great show Rick and Morty. I’ve heard so much about it and finally got a chance to check it out. I stumbled upon it while surfing channels in a last ditch effort to find something to watch before going to bed. It’s reminiscent of other animated shows like South Park and Family Guy, but firmly planted in the sci-fi world. It’s a bit raunchy at times, but I’m OK with that. It’s been a long time since I’ve laughed this much from a tv show. Ah, comedy.
Updating kramdown
Even though I was already planning to get a new blog post going soon, I was spurred after getting an email this weekend from GitHub. The email explained that there was a security issue with one of the ruby gems used to build the website. Fortunately, it appears to be a really straightforward and simple repair. All I have to do is update my kramdown version from 2.1 to 2.3.
Noisemaking Endeavors
I have continued to carve out some time during weekdays (ironic, innit?) to jam with my music-making gear. I have been splitting time with the more esoteric gear (see my previous post for more info) and the trusty machines from Elektron. Last week, I focused more on the Elektron boxes (Digitone and Model:Cycles to be precise) as I’m working on a song using those two. What started as a “Gee, I should use this other gear more” diversion has bubbled into a full-fledged song project. More so than any time in the past, the goal of completing a song seems more achievable this time. For this song, I’ve been heavily inspired by this track from German musician, Recondite. I guess it would fall in the Minimal Techno genre. There’s something different about it though – it has a bit more of a groove than most minimal techno. There’s a playful use of panning with some of the percussion elements that really draws you in. After some days laying down some initial patterns and many more days tweaking & fine-tuning, I think I’m getting close to pushing record. My plan is to practice a bit and just try to do a single take, live recording jam of the tune. What I need to work on is building out the structure of the song in an interesting way. The last mile could prove to be the step that takes the longest. Stay tuned. I think I’ll have something to share by the next time I post an update.
Back to the Online Learning Grind
After much deliberation and weighing of options, I think I have cemented my plan for rebooting my self-guided Data Science learning. Before diving into a more in-depth MicroMasters program from Edx, I decided it would be wise to sign up for a single, standalone course in order to determine my capability for committing to these classes. The class in question is actually on Coursera.org, a different platform. It’s also different in that it involves a new programming language. I’ve recently been reading about Julia and its many benefits over other scientifically oriented programming languages. It’s a bit of a gamble, but if I can become proficient in Julia, I think that would help separate me from the pack, when it comes time to start a job search. After weight all the options, this course just seemed to check the most boxes. I should have an update on my early progress soon. Especially since I have a…
Week Off Coming Up!
It’s bittersweet, since this is a “forced” vacation; but a week off (even at home) is 100% welcome right now. I’m looking forward to diving into the online course, taking care of some jobs around the house and busting out some serious tunes next week. As usual, I have high hopes for time off, so I have to remember to temper my expectations. Relaxing is OK too, right?
Share on Twitter Share on Facebook